But for those who would prefer to take a less speedy alternative, they may no longer have the choice. Some passengers who have been put off by cost concerns have complained that the new link has put some standard services out of business.

At the railway station in Wuchang City, Hubei Province, queues in front of ticket booths are not long. But some passengers have failed to get the tickets they want.

One passenger said "I've heard that some routes served by standard trains have been cancelled due to the launch of high-speed trains. I could not buy tickets for the service I used to take."

Some passengers say the high-speed trains are too expensive for them.

Mr. Xiao, migrant worker said "For us migrant workers, the price is important. I will not spend 300 to 400 yuan for a trip unless it's an emergency."

Wuchang railway station has cancelled five standard trains since the launch of the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed trains. But the station says they only took off routes that were not popular. And the adjustment will just mean existing trains carrying more passengers. It also said more freight trains can run on the line after the adjustments.

Zhang Yousong, Secretary of CPC Wuhan Railway Bureau Committee said "Previously our freight capacity could meet only 50 percent of the demand. Now 10 freight trains have been added, so the freight capacity has risen by 21 percent."

Wuchang Railway Station says although it has cancelled some services, it still has routes operated by standard trains at lower ticket prices.